Gunmen abduct son of local chief

ZAMBOANGA CITY: Gunmen have abducted the son of a village chieftain in Zamboanga del Norte province in southern Philippines, police said on Friday.

Police said at least six masked men barged late on Thursday in the house of Dennis Cabadonga in Labason’s seaside village of Malintubuan and seized him.

Inspector Dahlan Samuddin, a regional police spokesman, said the 28-year old man was dragged to the seashore where other gunmen were waiting in two motorboats and escaped under cover of darkness.

“He was abducted by six unidentified men, armed with .45-caliber pistols and M16 and M14 rifles, and all were wearing mask and cap,” he said.

He said local policemen who were alerted of the abduction pursued the gunmen, but failed to catch up with them.

The victim’s father Samuel, who is the village chieftain of San Antonio in nearby town of Titay, did not give any statement about the abduction, but Samuddin said the family owned a small business in the area.

Samuddin said the gunmen may have fled to the towns of Siocon, Sirawai, Gutalac or Baliguian and police forces in those areas have been alerted. However, there have been no reports of the abductors and their victim.

“Police elements of Siocon, Gutalac, Baliguian and Sirawai have established blocking positions and are searching those towns, especially in coastal areas where the gunmen may dock,” he said.

Just earlier in May, a group of gunmen also raided the tourist island of Aliguay just off Dapitan City in Zamboanga del Norte and abducted two unarmed Coast Guard personnel – Gringo Villaruz and Rodlyn Pagaling – and then seized the island’s chieftain Roberto Buligao and sped off on two motorboats.